Electric firing mechanism



Aug. 23, l949 w. E. POLLOCK ELECTRIC FIRING MEQHANISM l Filed Aug. 9, 1946 WMWMW; I

Aug.. 2391949. W. E. POLLQCK 24'999@ ELECTRIC FIRING 4MECHANI SM Filed Aug.- 9, 194e 4 'sheets-sheet 2 n@ SMM? i3 QQ u) Q9 f h s C S f g) i @j I u L\ l@ f H ha 1 r m A E: @"3 i 5G QM NILLIAM E FULLUEK,

Aug. 23, 1949. W. E. PoLLocK I ELECTRIC FIRING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 9, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented ug. 23, 1949 NETE!) S- (Granted under the act of- March` 3, 1,883, as amended April 30, 1928; 37() 0. G. 757) 3 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government. for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in electric firing mechanisms for guns using electric primers, and is designed more particularly to provide an electric firing lock for the breech block of the gun, which can be mounted in the block to replace the usual mechanical firing lock, without modication of they block. The particularly novel and useful feature of my improved device is the combination of electric means for projecting an electric firing pin forwardly from the lock through the block to contact the primer, and to energize the pin to re the primer, and spring means for retracting the pin, said means operative to project the pin and retract the pin when the block is in battery and in recoil, respectively. This combination is eifected by a single resilient member which serves as an electrical conductor to the projecting means and the pin, and also to bias the pin rearwardly in the block. The device is also provided with means to prevent arcing when the electric circuit is opened on recoil.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a gun equipped with my improved ring lock, the gun being in battery.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of parts shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section partly in elevation, on the line 3 3 of Fig. l, in the clirection of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section partly in elevation, on the line ll-4 of Fig. 1, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a greatly enlarged section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 3, with a fragment of the round in elevation.

Fig. 6 is a reduced transverse section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 'l is a reduced transverse section on the line T-l of Fig. 5, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 8 is a wiring diagram showing the electrical circuits.

As shown in the drawing, the gun cradle I has the recoil guide 2 with key-way 3 for a key (not shown) on breech-ring d to prevent relative ro-` tation of the gun and mount on recoil, ring 4 sliding horizontally in guide 2. vertically recipe rocable in ring 4 is the breech block '5 in which is axially disposed the cylindrical firing case 6 (Figs. 3A). The above described elements are Standard and have been shown merely to illus..- trate the use and operation of my improved firing lock. Case 6. is received in an axial bore of block 5. and locked therein by keys l in the. usual way. Case e contains a solenoid having its coil 8 snugly fixed into casing 5 Coaxially and its core 9 slidable axialiy of casing E and having an axial here I0 therethrough in which is disposed a tubular bushing Ii composed 0.1" electr-ic insulation material. The rear end of bore Ie is enlarged and closed by a nut i2 threaded into bore Ill and having an axial herer is therethrough in which is. a bushE ing it of the same material as bushing II. The forward end of the enlarged portion of bore lll forms a shoulder I5 against which is seated ange IG on bushing II. A ange Il on bushing I4 is seated against nut I2 and spaced rearwardly from ilanee I6. snugly fitted between anges lli and Il, there is, a collar I8 on a rod I9 received in bushings Il and Ill. The periphery of collar I8 iS Shaoed from core 9. The forward end of core 9 is recessed t0 form a frustoeconical face ewa.. A. bushing 2&1 of the Same diameter as core 9 is diSpQSed in the forward end of coil 8 and has a rearwardly extending frusto-.conical face 2l, cor.-AV resnonding 4with face S-a of core 9, and normally Spoiled forwardly thereof. Bushing 2li has a re... duced forward portion 22 forming a shoulderl 23 seated against the inner face of the forward end wall 24 of easing (i. Portion Z2 extends forwardly through and beyond wall 24 and has theaded thereon nut 25 bearing against wall 2d tov lock bushing 2u in place. Mounted in bushing 20 Y there is a co-axial bushing 2G of the same material as bushings II and I4. Bushing 25 extends rearE Wardly slightly beyond the rear end 2l of bushA ing 29, and forwardly beyond nut 25. Its forward extension 2l is received in a bore 28 in block 5 opening through the front face 29 of block 5. A suitable metallic liner 3u is mounted in bushing 2. The rod I9 extends forwardly from core 9, sliflably received in liner 30, and projecting forwardly of extension el of bushing 29 into bore 28. Rod I9 is provided on its forward end with an electric contact ring pin 3|.

The casing is provided with an interior peripheral shoulder 32 registering radially with the rear end of coil 8, against which is seated a collar 33 through which is passed an insulated contact post 34 connected to one end of coil 8. The casing 6 is suitably transversely slotted to receive therein segmental blocks 35 and 36 their chords being parallel and symmetrically ydisposed on opposite sides of the axis of casing 6 (Fig. 6).

These blocks 35 and 36 are composed of the same material as bushings II, I4 and 26. Collar 33 is suitably grooved to receive the forward faces of blocks 35 and 36 therein to lock collar 33 in position. A quadrilateral block 31 is disposed between blocks 35 and 36, its convex arcuate sides 38 and 39 being received against the inner surface of casing 6 and its plane sides 40 and 4I against blocks 35 and 36, respectively. Block 31 has a rectangular centrally disposed cavity 42. The rear end of casing 6 is closed by a plug 6-a threaded therein which when set up in casing 6 bears against the rear face of block 31 seating it against collar 33. Bushing I4 extends rearwardly from nut I2, slidable through block 31, into cavity 42 thereof. Rod I9 extends rearwardly beyond the rear end of bushing I4 into cavity 42 and has mounted thereon a leaf spring 43 by washers 44 and nut 45. The spring 43 has its end 46 bearing against plate 41 mounted in block 36, extending into a cavity 48 in block 36 and connected to Contact post 34 which extends from coil 8, through collar 33 into cavity 48. The spring 43 has its end 49 bearing against a plane contact surface 59, in cavity I of block 35, of

contact post 52 housed in block 35. Cavities 48 and 5l in blocks 36 and 35, respectively, communicate with cavity 42 of block 31, from which spring 43 extends its ends 46 and 49 into the cavities 48 and 5I. to an insulated Wire Y53 passing out of block 35 and through a suitable conduit 54 in breech block 5 to a cam contact plate 55 mounted on the top of breech block 5 and suitably insulated therefrom.

The recoil guide 2 has an upstanding ear 56 having a lateral flange 51 disposed above the outer edges of breech ring 4. Suitably bolted on flange 51, there is a, bracket 58 extending rearwardly over ring 4 on which is bolted a housing 59 disposed above cam contact plate 55 on breech block 5. Depending from housing 59 there is a cylindrical casing 60 in which is slidable vertically a rod 6I having on its lower end,

exterior to casing 69, a contact head 62 for coaction with cam contact plate 55. The rod 6I isv suitably insulated from housing 59 and casing 66 and has on its upper end projected into casing 59 a contact head 63. Rod 6I has collars 64 and 65 co-acting with the bottom walls of houscontact with head 63 on rod 6I, and a second contact head 68 into contact with a contact head 69 supported on a bracket 10 resiliently mountedV in housing 59 and urged into normal position by a leaf spring 1I. Spring 66 and bracket10 are mounted in an insulated block 12 in housing 59 and bracket'10 is connected to an'insulated electric conductor 13 which passes from housing 59 through conduit 14, and is connected to a source of electrical energy such as a battery 15.

It will be understood, therefore, from the foregoing description of the structural elements, that the battery has one side connected with one end of coil 8 and with ring pin 3|, and that these connections are insulated from the gun, its breech ring 4 and breech block 5. The other sideV of the battery 15 is connected by wire 16 to the usua1 ring switch 11 which is connected to wire 18 passed through conduit 14 into housing 59 and properly grounded on the gun to effect electric connection to the Yother end of the The contact post 52 is connected coil 8, and through tube 19 of the gun to the proper contact members (not shown) of the round 80. It will be obvious, from Fig. 8 that, when switch 11 is closed, the circuit is completed through battery 15, the coil 8 is energized, the solenoid moves the firing pin 3l forwardly to contact the round 80, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, to close the circuit through the firing mechanism of round 80.

From the foregoing description of my improved iiring lock, its use and operation will be obvious. When the round is in tube 19 of the gun and breech block 5 in battery, the cam contact plate 55 bears against contact head 62 (Fig. 2) It will be noted that the parts are so designed and related that the head 62 is contacted by the rear end of plate 55 which is the low portion of the cam surface. While this contact is sufcient to slightly raise rod 6I against force of spring 66 to effect a pressed contact of plate 55 and head 62, it is insumcient to lift spring 66 to move contact head 68 from contact head 69. The connection from the iiring lock to battery 15 is therefore maintained closed, and the gun is conditioned for ring. When the ring switch 11 is closed, completing the circuit to the solenoid, the coil 6 is energized by battery 15 and moves the core 9 for-wardly, the nut I2 bearing against flange I1 which bears against collar I8 to move rod I9 with core 9 against the force of spring 43 bearing on plates 41 and 50. The core 9 is moved to close the space between it and core 26, such movement being suiicient to cause rod I9 to project pn 3l out of bore 28 in block 5, and into contact with round 80 (Fig. 5). By the functioning of the usual electrical firing mechanism in round 86, the round 80 is red when the pin 3l contacting round 86 closes the circuit, as above described. The recoil of the gun, on ring, slides ring 4 rearwardly along guide 2, carrying block 5, thereby moving cam contact plate 55 under head 62, bringing the forward, high portion to .bear on head 62 to raise rod 6I sumciently to lift spring 66 to move head 68 away from head 69 to open the circuit, the break; being made within the closed housing 59, to prevent exposed arcing when cam contact plate 55 ismoved away from contact 62.

It is obvious that the rearward movement of block 5 on recoil is suflicient to move the cam contact plate 55 clear of contact head 62, and spring 66 then functions to close the contacts 64, 61, 68 and 69.

When the solenoid is de-energized, by opening of the circuit, the spring 43, which was tensioned by the action of the solenoid moving rod I9 forwardly, now retracts rod I9 and withdraws iiring pin 3I into bore 28 of block 5. On this retraction oi rod I 9, its collar I8 bears against flange I 1 which bears against nut I2 which moves the core 9 rearwardly with rod I9, and the parts are thus restored to normal position. It will be noted that when block 5 moves downwardly in ring 4, on counter-recoil, its forward face 29 moving across the base of the case, any contact of pin 3| with the base is prevented, by the retraction of pin 3| into bore 25 of block 5. Also, it will be noted that the descent of block 5, into loading position, moves cam contact plate 55 a considerable distance, to maintain the circuit open during' loading, the cam-contact plate 55 not functioning to make connection until the gun is loaded and block 5 returned to battery.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an electric iiring lock comprising the breech block of a gun for ring a projectile having an electric primer, the combination of a ring pin slidable in said block; a solenoid in said block for slidingr said pin forwardly out of said block into ring contact position; and a resilient electric conductor in said block, mechanically connected with said pin for biasing said pin rearwardly, and electrically connecting said solenoid and said pin, in parallel, with a source of electrical energy.

2. In an electric firing lock comprising the breech block of a gun for ring a projectile having an electric primer, the combination of a firing pin slidable in said block; a solenoid in said block for sliding said pin forwardly out of said block into firing position; and a spring mounted in said block, for biasing said pin rearwardly, said spring being electrically connected to -a source of electric energy and to said solenoid and to said pin, in parallel.

3. In an electric ring lock for a breech block of a gun for firing a projectile having an electric primer, the combination of a casing removably mounted in said block; a solenoid comprising a coil mounted in said casing and a core slidable axially in said casing; a metallic rod mounted in said core and insulated electrically therefrom; a firing pin formed on one end of said rod, projecting out of the forward end of said casing; a metallic leaf spring on the other end of said rod; an electric contact plate mounted in said casing and electrically connected with one end of said coil; and an electrical conductor mounted in said casing, said spring having its ends bearing against said plate and said conductor in electrical contact therewith, respectively, to bias said rod rearwardly in said casing, the said plate, conductor, spring and rod being insulated electrically from said casing, and the other end of said coil being electrically connected to said casing, the solenoid when energized moving said rod forwardly to project said pin out of said block into firing contact position said conductor, casing and primer being connected to a source of electrical energy.

WILLIAM E. POLLOCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,314,761 Smith Sept. 2, 1919 1,332,060 Pacilli Feb. 24, 1920 1,782,148 Ross Nov. 18, 1930 1,844,865 Schladt Feb. 9, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 10,020 Great Britain 1909 i033@ Great ,Britain 18s@ 

